My Little Christmas: We Belong
by Captain Alaska
Summary: Recently married, Braeburn invites AJ, Applebloom, and their friends to celebrate Christmas Eve at his home in Elmendorf AFB, Alaska with his wife. Everyone is happy to be together on such a special night while a pilot on base celebrates the evening like normal: alone. How different could everyone's evening become if he and Applebloom were to cross paths? Featuring my OC, Cougar.


**My Little Christmas: We Belong**

 _Well, well, well! Merry late Christmas and a Happy New Year Fanfiction! I know as I say that it must be weird that I'm posting a Christmas story so late, or early technically. I would have honestly posted this before Christmas, but since I had to spend my 21st birthday in Las Vegas, I didn't have too much time to write anything really. Fallen Eagle fans, don't worry; the next chapter is in the works!_

 _The second chapter will be out soon. I was going to post this as a one shot, but with so little time to post this and Fallen Eagle, I split it apart to keep a more consistent updating procedure._

 _Anyway, this story came about because A) I've wanted to write an MLP Christmas story since last year, but I didn't have a plot for one last year. And B) I wanted to write a story that took place with ALL characters as humans and didn't take place in the Equestria Girls Universe._

 _I hope everyone's 2015 was good, and I hope everyone's 2016 will be even better. And if anyone is curious, the title of the story comes from a song titled 'We Belong' from Def Leppard's self-titled 2015 studio album. The song is on YouTube if you wish to listen._

 _Once again, Happy New Year! I love this show, the characters, the stories, and of course: The fandom!_

 _Feather Duster belongs to the brilliant mind of Sassymouse_

* * *

 **[Anchorage, Alaska; Christmas Eve]**

In the woods of Alaska, a cow moose trudged through the deep snow drifts with her two calves following suit. The three snacked on any small branches or shrubs that Jack Frost had not yet buried. As a gentle gust of wind grazed across their brown fur, lifting up powdery snow flakes, the cow moose's ears pricked up. A far off rumble put her senses on high alert. Fearing danger for her babies, the moose nudged her calves, encouraging them to flee as fast as they could. The moment that all three bolted for the cover of deeper woods, the rumble grew louder until a large C-17 cargo jet zoomed by over the woods.

A pilot and co-pilot sat at the controls of the military aircraft, keeping their eyes ahead and down at the dash. The co-pilot reached down and grasped the intercom in his hand, "Attention passengers," he began, "we'll be landing at Elmendorf Air Force Base in approximately two minutes," he announced before putting the intercom back in its cradle. The pilot then began to radio ahead to the Air Force base's tower, receiving instructions on which runway to land on. Back in the cargo area of the plane, the twelve passengers sat or stood, if they preferred, conversing about other holiday plans.

"Rarity!" One of the passengers, a Junior in high school, called out. "It's been forever since we left Canterlot City; can we get our Christmas Eve presents you've been bragging about?" The teenager begged to her sister.

"Hmm," a purple hair colored young woman tapped her chin. "Oh, why not?" She questioned rhetorically, reaching into a bag. "You've all been on your best behavior during the flight, Sweetie Belle," Rarity handed out a small box.

"Wow!" Sweetie Belle and her two friends Scootaloo and Applebloom exclaimed when they unwrapped the box. "Our own embroidered Santa hats?!" She hopped up and down before putting the hat on her head.

"This is SO cool!" Scootaloo peered into her smartphone with the camera app pointed at her. "Santa Crusaders are on duty!" Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Applebloom all cheered together after getting a picture taken by Applebloom's sister, Applejack. Rarity couldn't help but smile; happy to see her sister and her friends thrilled.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you, Spikey," Rarity dug her hands back inside her bag and produced another box. The same age as Sweetie Belle and her friends, Spike almost always got to tag along with his sister Twilight and the rest of their group all throughout middle and high school. He had somewhat become an honorary little brother to the group, even though he'd harbored a crush on Rarity since the two first met.

"You didn't have to get me anything, Rarity," he politely waved his hand off.

"I simply can't go a Christmas without making a special gift for my Spikey-Wikey," the seamstress ruffled his green hair. "Now, close your eyes," she requested. He did so without second thoughts while Rarity opened the box and placed the gift onto his head, giggling slightly with heightened anticipation.

"It-it's a little itchy," Spike tried to itch his chin, yet Rarity politely smacked his hand away.

"Just need a little adjustment and, PERFECT!" Rarity exclaimed. "Go on, open your eyes Spike," she sat back proudly at her work.

"Nice!" Spike heard Rainbow and, upon opening his green eyes, saw her giving him a thumbs up. The Junior felt the fake beard resting upon his chin and lifted it up to examine it.

"Ooh, it's Spike Claus!" Pinkie Pie giggled, zooming over and jumping onto Spike's lap, squeezing his torso in a hug. "Mr. Spike Claus, can I have a pony for Christmas?" She requested. Spike grunted, not expecting Pinkie to try and pop off his head. "Ooh ooh!" She exclaimed, "and she needs to be able to sneeze confetti!"

"Pinkie, I think you're crushing my brother," Twilight tried to warn through a stifled snicker, though Rarity showed a little concern for her friend and admirer.

"Oops, sorry!" the party planner apologized gleefully, jumping off of him. Spike's face returned to its normal purple color as he inhaled long, deep breaths.

"You ten haven't lost any spark of your friendship," Principal Celestia complimented, folding her arms across her chest.

"Yes, it brings us so much happiness to see friends stay so close even after graduation and pursuing different paths," Vice Principal Luna concurred. "I'd say that means we did a rather fine job as their instructors, did we not?" the administrator half-bragged to her sister. Just as Celestia was about to respond, the intercom crackled on again.

" _Attention passengers, we are lowering our landing gear now. We advise you sit firmly in your seats and strap yourselves in. And we thank you for flying with the U.S. Air Force,"_ the pilot set the intercom microphone back into its cradle. Everyone quickly returned to their seats, save for Spike who remained next to Rarity.

"Ugh, Ah wish this plane had windows!" Applebloom proclaimed. "Alaska's s'posed ta be beautiful in the winter."

"Maybe on the flight back the pilots will let you three into the cockpit?" Fluttershy suggested sweetly. Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash exchanged concerned looks with one another at the thought of their sisters being allowed inside the cockpit of military aircraft. Though the three younger sisters all shook with excitement at the idea.

"Rarity? This beard won't give me a rash will it?" Spike asked whilst scratching his chin.

"Sorry, what?" The fashionista couldn't hear the boy's question due to the fact that the plane's wheels hit the ground; the engines of the cargo plane rose in volume from being so close to the ground. Twilight and Fluttershy gripped the edges of their seats when they could feel the plane being forced to slow down on the runway.

"Weeeeeee!" Pinkie threw her arms in the air as if she were riding a roller coaster. The plane finally lurched to a stop, not even taxiing further down the runway. Suddenly, the door to the cockpit flew open; the pilot and co-pilot exited out and opened another door leading out of the plane. "Let's do that again!" Pinkie cheered while everyone else unbuckled.

"Ladies and gentleman," the pilot cleared his throat, "welcome to Alaska," he pushed the door open and stepped aside so everyone else could exit. A small group of Air Force personnel was waiting to greet the group below a set of temporary stairs.

"Oooh, look at the runway, Rarity!" Sweetie Belle pointed to the red and green lights lining the sides of the runway. She didn't know if it was intentional to stay in the Christmas spirit or if it was just a coincidence.

"Isn't this exciting!?" Luna tried to contain her excitement.

"It's a little _freezing_!" Rainbow Dash zipped up her coat and hugged her torso.

"Don't be a wimp; it's still above twenty degrees!" A coarse and commanding voice replied. An orange women, about Celestia and Luna's age, with fiery orange and yellow hair stood in the middle of the military group. She had her arms folded with a stern look on her face. Everyone stopped a good few feet in front of the woman, but Celestia and Luna drew closer.

"Wimp?!" Rainbow tried to counter before Celestia interrupted.

"It's been _far_ too long, Spitfire!" The principal embraced the Base Commander in a hug. Luna did the same, hugging Spitfire from the side. "Merry Christmas!"

"Oh right, I forgot you two enjoy _hugging_ ," Spitfire shuddered and rolled her orange eyes. The two administrators let her go with blushes on their faces, but were met with a smile from their long time friend. "But it is good to see you girls again."

"Thank you for inviting us, Spitfire," Luna thanked before a voice shouted into the night.

"COUSIN SPITFIRE!" Applebloom exclaimed and gave her cousin a bone crushing hug, sort of shoving Luna and Celestia aside.

"Applebloom!" Applejack pried her little sister from her newest cousin. "Yer not used ta that yet, are ya?" She sheepishly asked.

"Where does your family get your strength, Applejack?" Spitfire stretched her back and smoothed out the wrinkles in her uniform. "At least Braeburn isn't a psycho when it comes to hugging," she muttered. "Nice hat by the way, kid," she patted Applebloom's Santa hat.

"Hey! Aren't _we_ going to be introduced to your cousins' friends?" Another military member questioned.

"Fine," Spitfire rolled her eyes. "Surprise, Celestia and Luna. Celestia and Luna, Surprise; is everyone happy now?" The commander quickly blew off introductions.

"Oooh, I _love_ your hair!" Surprise began to pet Pinkie's hair.

"Finally, someone with a sense of hair style!" Pinkie started petting Surprise's yellow hair that was identical to hers. Spitfire quickly went around and shook hands with the other students, even taking a little shine to Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash for their love of athleticism.

"Okay, it's Christmas Eve, I aim to get you folks home on time to be with your families, and I'm starving," Spitfire announced. "Everyone onto the bus!" She snapped her fingers.

"Ah can't wait ta have Braeburn's famous apple butter glazed ham," Applejack rubbed her stomach as everyone boarded the bus. Twilight felt a little uneasy after reading a picture of the bus driver's license at the front of the bus.

 _Your driver is Feather 'Evil' Duster._

"Thank you for choosing Feather Duster's bus service," the driver's voice crackled onto the intercom. "Just remember, there's a fifty cent per foot rule per passenger, so have your credit card numbers ready!" She began to laugh like Dr. Evil.

"Stuff it and drive, Feather Duster," Spitfire whacked the driver on the back of her head.

"I tell ya, no respect at all!" Feather Duster grumbled and floored the gas pedal. As the bus lurched forward and drove through the housing community of the Air Force base, Scootaloo had a question burning through her mind.

"Hey, where are all the igloos?"

Elsewhere on Elmendorf, an F-15 pilot was also preparing for the holidays, but in a much different way. Inside his small home, the young early twenties male ran a vacuum across his living room carpet while Christmas music softly blasted over his surround sound system. Though he was always on high alert, the pilot had been granted Christmas Eve off, so he'd spent nearly all day tidying up his house. As he ran his vacuum over the last dirty spot, the pilot hummed along to Josh Groban's version of _The Little Drummer Boy_ before shutting the device off.

Feeling proud, Ivan smiled at his freshly cleaned home and began wrapping up the cord to the vacuum to place it back into his closet. "Just the counters left and then some Christmas movies," he said happily to himself, grabbing a bottle of orange Clorox wipes from the closet. Despite being happy that it was the Christmas season, his house didn't do too good of a job showing it. The only decorations he had bothered to put up was a _Merry Christmas_ sticker on his window while a puny two foot tall tree with one ornament sat in the corner of his living room, directly next to his 65 inch TV. With no one else to share the holiday with, Ivan didn't really feel the need to go all out on decorations.

 _Riiiiiing!_ The pilot's telephone rang, overpowering the soft Christmas music. He ceased scrubbing down his countertops, muted the song, and double checked the caller I.D. "Hey Adam, Merry Christmas," Ivan greeted.

 _"Merry Christmas to you too, Ivan,"_ his longtime friend Adam "Reaper" Jones replied on the other end of the line. " _We haven't heard much from you today; is everything going all right?"_ He questioned. Before Ivan could respond, another voice took command of the phone.

 _"Hey Cougar, Merry Christmas!"_ A female's voice cheered.

"Evening, Emma," Ivan smiled at talking to Adam's fiancee. It was sort of special how Emma always called him Cougar, despite being engaged to Ivan's life-long friend. She even knew his real name at first, yet explained that it was too cool of a nickname to pass up. "You guys have me on speaker phone, don't you?" He asked rhetorically, cracking open a can of Pepsi. "Not that I don't mind," he added.

" _You know Emma loves talking to you,"_ the other pilot reminded Ivan. _"I told her I was going to call you, so she hid the handset,"_ Reaper added. Ivan smirked as he picked up Emma's soft, innocent whistling on the phone.

"How kind of her," Ivan sipped his Pepsi and walked over to his couch and sat down comfortably.

 _"Anyway, how are you doing, Cougar?"_ Emma retook the conversation from her fiancee. Upon hearing that question repeated, Ivan inwardly sighed, making sure not to do so audibly and further worry his friends. He knew exactly the schtick both Reaper and Emma were trying to pull, no matter how desperately he wished that for once they would not try it. The pilot sat his Pepsi can on the arm rest of his couch, leaning forward slightly in his seat. _"Cougar?"_ Emma repeated Ivan's call sign.

"Don't worry; I'm still here," he groaned in response. "But I'm doing fine, just thought I'd tidy the place up a bit."

 _"Come on, Ivan. If you tidy up your house any more, computer chips could be made in there!"_ Reaper's voice came out of the phone. Ivan ran a hand through his hair, trying to think of ways to steer the conversation away from its inevitable path. Seeing no other way, he sighed loudly before admitting he knew what was up.

"Adam," Ivan broke through the silence, sounding more annoyed than he intended. "Look, you're only wasting your Christmas Eve by talking to me." Another brief moment of silence hit both parties, neither one able to say anything else. Because they were on speaker phone, Adam and Emma's whispering was picked up by the phone, allowing Ivan to hear just about every word.

 _"Cougar,"_ the F-15 pilot sighed again as Emma put on her 'sweet talk' voice. " _Not even for an hour or two? We have enough ham for three,"_ she attempted to persuade him. Catching himself before sounding absolutely irritated, Ivan cooly sipped his Pepsi and responded.

"You guys have asked me every year since you've gotten engaged," he said whilst smacking his lips lightly. "Yet you always know what I'm gonna say," the aviator was surprised to find that he downed the rest of his soda, shaking the empty can.

 _"Ivan,"_ Adam said sternly, _"can you at least give us the truth this year and not a lie?"_ He requested. " _Come on, you_ always _came over for Christmas Eve dinner before I got engaged!"_ Ivan stood up and stretched, tossing the empty can into the garbage.

"Yes I did, and those were good times, Adam," Ivan leaned over the kitchen counter, drumming his left fingers on the countertop. "But I've accepted things have changed; you need to do the same." From the other end of the line, both Adam and Emma had no clue what Ivan was rambling on about, thus unprepared for a proper response.

" _Things have changed? I got engaged to Emma two years ago, Ivan!"_ Adam countered, " _Then all of a sudden you can't come over for Christmas Eve. We always used to hang out together on Christmas Eve. It's not like Emma won't let you hang out with me anymore!"_

"Of course she hasn't," Ivan agreed, "but now that you _are_ engaged to her, you really should focus more on embracing your present and future with her, and less on the past with me," the pilot explained. If Adam and Emma were indeed using a handheld phone, Ivan would've bet his pension that they would have dropped the device from his explanation. He could've sworn he'd heard Emma gasp.

" _Cougar, how could you say that?"_ Emma said in a near whisper, making Ivan feel a little guilty.

 _"You're my best friend, Ivan,"_ Adam reminded him softly, " _I'd never want to kick you out of my life."_ Grunting, Ivan pushed himself up from the counter and began to pace back and forth in his kitchen.

"Because you guys are already happy tonight; I don't want to be a burden on you two and drench my problem all over you. That'd be completely selfish of me."

" _You know we'd never let that happen. Everyone deserves to be with friends or family during the holidays,"_ Emma started to go into her authority mode.

 _"Ivan, just explain to me how spending Christmas_ ALONE _could be any better than spending it with people who care about you?"_ Adam asked with a soft sigh. The simple request forced the aviator to droop his head low for a moment or two, making him think about his true desires of wanting to spend Christmas with others.

"Easy," he swallowed, "if I go over to your house for dinner, you two will be so focused on making sure I'm happy and having fun that you two _won't_ ," Ivan stated firmly. Another instance of silence hit the conversation, both parties unsure of how to advance. "Guys, you _are_ my best friends; but I want you two to be happy, not feeling sorry for me all night."

 _"Well…..if you're sure,"_ came Adam's somewhat saddened response. Although the three were not in the same room, Ivan could feel the sense of dread dripping from the atmosphere of the phone call. He decided to try a more playful attitude to end the conversation on a high note.

"You guys really shouldn't worry about me. I've got Christmas movies, Pepsi, Hot Cocoa, and every Def Leppard from High 'N Dry up to Euphoria, and their newest one," Ivan scanned his eyes from item to item he had listed.

 _"Only you know what you want, Ivan,"_ Adam sighed softly, causing a tiny _hiss_ to crackle over the phone. _"Just please, have a Merry Christmas,"_ Adam begged. Without any hesitation at all, Ivan replied that he would before hanging up with his friends. He set the phone back into its cradle before looking around his small house once again. Still looking neat and orderly, he grabbed the open bottle of Clorox and put it back into his cleaning closet. He smacked his lips, unsure of what he wanted to do next, so he took a TV dinner out of his refrigerator along with some milk and Hershey's syrup.

While his meal and drink heated up in the microwave, the conversation just wouldn't leave Ivan's mind. He claimed to be just fine all by himself, but now he was soon feeling just the smallest amount of regret in his chest. Having his Christmas movies and Def Leppard albums always cheered him up during the holidays, so he went with what always worked for him. Def Leppard softly playing over his sound system while Macaulay Culkin beat up Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern was just the magic touch he felt he needed.

With a content smile, Ivan put _Home Alone_ into his DVD player and turned on his Christmas playlist. Yet, the feeling of regret, now combined with a little loneliness, clung to his heart. And as the first few lyrics of Def Leppard's ' _We Belong'_ played over his speaker system, he couldn't help but stare at the empty spot on his couch, look at his dinner for one, and replace his NASCAR hat with a Santa hat.

* * *

Meanwhile, Base Commander Spitfire, her friends, and their students all arrived in front of her house just as some snow began to gently float down to earth. As the dark green bus came to a halt, the doors swished open, "Okay, that'll be-" Feather Duster tried to charge the passengers before Spitfire smacked her in the head again.

"Shut up and go home," the commander growled with a roll of her orange eyes. "And keep taking your medicine," she added, assisting everyone off the bus. Feather Duster grumbled angrily, mumbling something about shoving the pills somewhere, but Spitfire couldn't hear as the driver sped off back to park the bus near one of the three hangars.

"So, tell me how _she's_ allowed on the base?" Rainbow Dash questioned, shaking slightly from the chilly temperatures.

"I have to concur," Twilight nodded, "she seems severely psychologically unstable for a job at a military installation," she shivered as well.

"Unstable!?" Pinkie Pie bellowed, "She's hilarious AND an amazing driver!"

"She started muttering stuff Nazis would say…" Spike said in a freaked out voice. Spitfire opened her mouth to give a reason why Feather Duster was allowed on base, but was interrupted by one of her oldest friends.

"Let us not dwell on such matters now that we have arrived," Luna spoke up.

"Yes; we're here to celebrate Christmas as friends," Celestia agreed, "let's just put aside that _exciting_ little ride and proceed with dinner." Leading the way, Spitfire walked everyone up to her house, keeping a special eye on Pinkie in case the party lover wanted to start a snowball war or something.

"Wow, your house is HUGE!" Scootaloo craned her neck up to gaze at the two story house. The aromas coming out of the house were enough to entrance anyone as Spitfire opened the door with a cocky grin. Snapping her fingers, she cocked her head sideways to look at the group behind her.

"Scrape your shoes or stay out!" Spitfire barked. Not wanting to take any chances, everyone obeyed her order, scraping their shoes and neatly setting them beside the door. "Oh no," the commander groaned, confusing everyone. Just then, a light yellow skinned man with light brown hair, green eyes, and a white apron embroidered with red apples entered the living room, wiping his hands with a towel.

"Well, howdy everyone!" He welcomed with a cheesy grin. "And welcome to AAAAALLLLLAASSSSKKKAAA!" He cheered, spreading his arms out.

"COUSIN BRAEBURN!" Applebloom put the Flash to shame, zipping by everyone to nearly tackle her older cousin. "It's SOOOO good ta see ya again!" She squeezed the mid to late twenties man. "An' yer house is _amazin'!_ FaceSpace pictures don't do it justice!" Applebloom referred to the orange colored walls covered with dozens of pictures from the Apple family clan, showcasing just how large their family was, especially now that Spitfire was a member from marrying Braeburn. Along with the dozens of pictures were numerous trophies and plaques, an equal amount from both Spitfire and Braeburn from various events they had competed in or honors they'd won.

The ceiling was wooden with several exposed beams. The beams were large enough to support the large model A-10 Warthog hanging on thin wires in the living room. "It's good to see you too, cousin Applebloom," Braeburn returned the death hug. Applejack too wrapped her arms around the man, squeezing his shoulders. "Can't forget 'bout cousin AJ now."

"I can't believe it," Spitfire said once the three Apple relatives released their hug, "I leave you alone for two measly hours, and you vandalize our house. What am I gonna do with you, Cowboy?" Spitfire rolled her orange eyes. Some of the guests thought she did it playfully while others hadn't a clue if the commander knew what 'playfully' was. She was of course referring to the decorations that had shown up suddenly from the time she had left to the time she had returned.

"Aw, don't be that way, Fire," Braeburn began to rub her shoulder, "we just needed a little more Christmas cheer, that's all," Braeburn explained. Spitfire seemed to relax just a bit due to her husband's loving presence, but that didn't stop everyone but Celestia and Luna from feeling a little uneasy about Spitfire's house rules.

"These decorations are simply beautiful, darling," Rarity's keen designer's eye had zero complaints about the decorations whatsoever.

"Oh, where are mah manners?" Braeburn shook his head, extending his hand out. After being properly introduced to his wife's friends and reintroduced his cousin's friends, Braeburn went back to the kitchen to check on dinner and returned with an ice chest full of drinks.

"So, why exactly do ya have three couches, Braeburn?" Applejack questioned her cousin.

"In case we had more company," Braeburn explained with a shrug. Exchanging a quick glance with Rainbow Dash, AJ shrugged, accepting the answer from her cousin. "Y'all got here just in time," he added with another cheesy grin, "supper's just 'bout done."

"And it smells delicious!" Sweetie Belle sniffed the air. Braeburn beamed at the compliment just as everyone except Applejack and Applebloom studied the pictures and plaques on the walls. One guest in particular, Pinkie Pie, was fascinated with the model A-10 Warthog hanging from the ceiling and decided to try and get a closer look.

"Ooh, is this one of those model planes that can fly at a hundred miles per hour?!" Pinkie questioned loudly, standing on the back of one of the three couches, reaching up for the plane.

"FREEZE, MISSY!" Spitfire screamed, causing every person in the room except for Braeburn to come to a screeching halt on spot. Pinkie Pie, still standing on the back of the couch, tried to balance herself, but without being able to move, fell off the back and onto the floor with a thud. However, she held the same frozen position without budging an inch. "You could have just jumped off the couch!" Spitfire berated the party loving girl.

"But you told us to freeze!" Pinkie said through clenched teeth, holding her position face down on the floor. Spitfire's eye twitched, she grit her teeth and wanted to shout her frustrations to the sky. Yet, the professional commander sucked in a deep breath and tried to help the younger girl to her feet.

"You can "unfreeze" now," she advised the group that began to move around in relief. " _Just_ _like having another Surprise here, just what we need,"_ Spitfire mumbled under her breath. "NO!" Spitfire screamed again as Pinkie tried to reach for the model Warthog.

"I just want to look at it!" Pinkie explained before her hand was smacked away.

"Look, since it's Christmas, I'm going to lay down some nice ground rules," the commander cracked her knuckles to help quell her frustration. She frowned when Pinkie dropped a Santa hat on top of her head. "Ugh, anyway, the only ones I can really trust in my house are you two," Spitfire pointed to Celestia and Luna, "Cowboy, and his two cousins."

" _Our_ cousins, hun," Braeburn corrected. Spitfire bowed her head and inhaled into her nose, trying to calm herself. She wasn't a very social woman; on most days of the week, she locked herself into her office, only allowing personnel in for strict Air Force purposes. But, since she married Braeburn Apple, she had steadily been getting better at interacting with others on a more personal and less business-like level. It was her husband's idea to invite his two cousin's over for Christmas Eve dinner, an idea she was fine with since they were indeed family, and that she herself had invited Celestia and Luna.

Upon hearing that _eight_ other guests were coming, all friends of Applejack and Applebloom, Spitfire nearly developed a permanent twitch in her left eye. However, Braeburn successfully convinced her that it would be a huge step for her to develop a better social personality with more friends. Spitfire didn't know why, but Braeburn just understood and could talk to her better than anyone else ever could. Something about his sweet and innocent personality calmed her down and helped her open up a little more each day.

"Yes, _our_ cousins, Cowboy," Spitfire cleared her throat. None of the others could speak a word as they waited for the commander to lay out her ground rules. Even Pinkie Pie patiently stayed silent after the whole freezing incident. Braeburn placed a soft hand on her shoulder and gave it a polite squeeze, encouraging his wife to continue. She gave him a little smirk in response and smacked his back. "Now then, I'm sure you all want to have a memorable Christmas."

"Especially since we're in Alaska!" Spike exclaimed with a toothy grin. Spitfire and Twilight glared at the teenager for his interruption, causing him to chuckle embarrassingly and retreat behind his sister.

"Anyway," Spitfire continued, "as long as you follow the rules of my house, everything should be fine." Celestia and Luna gave one another uneasy looks, unsure just how iron fisted their friend ran her house. The two sisters remembered their friend as strict and obedient to rules and protocol back in the day. "First rule, no glass shattering squealing!" The commander jabbed her index finger into Pinkie's nose. The party planner gave a small, sad sigh, but didn't seem too unhappy with the rule. The orange woman started to pace around the group, making sure every single one was paying attention. "Second rule, no interrupting," she leaned so close to Spike's face that their noses touched, but Spike was shaking. "Understand, rookie?"

"Sounds perfectly reasonable, ma'am," Spike gulped with a shaky salute. Spitfire smirked before marching away from the teenager who began to rock back and forth a bit while Twilight rubbed his back. As Spitfire stopped in front of Pinkie again, both Applejack and Applebloom felt light tapping on their shoulders.

"Psst, come here, cousins," Braeburn whispered in between their heads. Feeling uncertain about leaving their new cousin's lecture on rules, AJ and Applebloom didn't move for a minute or two before they were yanked into the kitchen by their cousin. The sisters then found themselves trapped in a tight bear hug. "It's SO good ta see you two again," Braeburn repeated. "It feels like it's been forever," he added.

"Y-yer…w-weddin'….w-was only e-eight m-months ago!" Applebloom exclaimed through the hug. Braeburn, realizing that his cousins were turning blue, relinquished his family members and allowed them to catch their breath before offering them a seat. "But we missed ya too!"

"Ah know, but Ah don't see ya two at all since Ah chose ta move here permanently," Braeburn responded. "Messagin' each other on FaceSpace 'n phone calls don't come close ta talkin' face ta face."

"Ain't that the truth," Applejack sighed happily. "You still enjoyin' the colder weather?"

"Heck yeah!" The chef cheered triumphantly. "Ah thought it'd be somewhat of a frozen tartarus, but breathin' in that frozen air in the mornin' really feels rejuvenatin'!" He popped the top off a bottle of his family's cider.

"You still seem really happy with yer wife," Applebloom cocked an eyebrow. Her cousin cracked his knuckles with a happy grin and leaned back in his seat. "So, when can Ah expect some little cousins ta play with?" Applebloom questioned nonchalantly.

" _Applebloom!"_ Applejack seethed under her breath as Braeburn's right eye grew in size while his left eye shrank to the size of a pin needle. "You ain't old enough ta talk about that stuff ta Braeburn or Spitfire!" she instructed. Not seeing what was wrong with it, Applebloom just shrugged in defense.

"It's not like Ah asked anythin' dirty," the younger Apple sister rolled her orange eyes.

"It doesn't matter, little sister," Applejack shook her head. "You can't just be blunt with those sorts 'o questions." Braeburn took a nice, long sip of his cider before loudly clearing his throat.

"AJ, she's fine, really," he assured. "She just caught me off guard, that's all," Braeburn winked at Applebloom. "But no, Applebloom. Spitfire 'n Ah aren't ready fer that step just yet," he patted her red hair. The high schooler accepted the question, but seemed to pout at waiting longer for a baby cousin. Braeburn on the hand rubbed his chin softly, his fingers caressing over the developing five 'o clock shadow he'd planned to shave after dinner was over. "So AJ, how's everythin' goin' back home? Is yer orchard still doin' good?"

Like most of the Apple clan, Braeburn always loved getting updates from family members about their lives and their work around Apple orchards. Sure, he'd asked this question numerous times through phone calls throughout the year, but asking it in person, like he said, was the best way to do it. "There ain't really much ta say," Applejack locked her green eye's with her cousin's. "Granny's new hip is workin' out just great, Big Mac still likes ta keep ta himself, Applebloom is doin' good in school, 'n we plan ta have another big harvest next summer," AJ quickly listed off a barebones response. Braeburn looked rather disappointed at such a quick response, promoting Applejack to feel bad.

"That's it, Applejack?" Braeburn questioned, hoping to have a more in depth conversation with family. "Nothin' else excitin' is goin' on?" Applebloom took her Santa hat off her head due to the hotter temperature of the nearby kitchen, rubbing some sweat from her red hairline.

"Sorry, Brae," Applejack shrugged, "everythin' is just….goin' normal," she explained. Braeburn, copying Applebloom, removed his stetson and scratched his head. "Unless 'o course," Braeburn perked up when Applejack continued, "you count Filthy Rich gettin' into a huge agreement with a new cider supplier. That means more money fer him and fer our farm," Applejack grinned, though Braeburn didn't look _too_ enthused.

"Well, more money fer the farm 'n the orchard is always good news," he still gave off his cheesy smile.

"Heck yeah!" Applebloom intervened. "That also means a better chance fer me ta get into a good college!" she rubbed her palms together.

"The first Apple ta get into college, now that's somethin' ta be proud of!" Braeburn gave her a small noogie. Applebloom giggled and wriggled out of her cousin's grasp. Braeburn wanted a much different answer than the ones AJ provided, prompting him to think of a different approach to get the answer he desired.

"What else is on yer mind, Brae?" Applejack cocked her head to the side.

"Well, uh," Braeburn put his stetson back on, wiping his hands on his apron, "has anyone….interestin' slipped into town?" It took him a brief moment to find the correct word. The base chef soon realized he was again being just a little too vague. Applejack scrunched her face, trying decipher what her cousin was getting at.

"Uh, Twilight's got herself a new science partner named Sunset," AJ replied. Braeburn opened his mouth to explain a little further, but Applejack had more to say. "Fluttershy has an English friend that just moved into town; he's an electric guitarist," she added.

"Cousin," Braeburn decided to try something different, "how are _you_ doin', ya know, personally?"

"Brae, what exactly are ya implyin'?" Applejack questioned, scratching underneath her own stetson. Even little Applebloom was confused as to her cousin's tactics as well. She cocked an eyebrow and looked up at him from her seat. The chef chewed on his bottom lip, getting more anxious about not just being blunt about his question.

"Well-" he began before being interrupted.

 _DING!_

The oven timer from the kitchen went off, silencing even Spitfire who was still listing off rules for her house. "Ooh, hold that thought," Braeburn pushed himself off the wall he was leaning against and opened the oven. The delicious smell of apple butter glazed ham wafted all around the house, making everyone forget their current thoughts.

"Oh my, that smells yummy," Fluttershy rubbed her tummy. Rainbow Dash licked her lips and rubbed her hands together. Everyone else sniffed the air and stood up from their seats while Spitfire pretended not to be too enthralled with her husband's culinary skills.

"You tend to that…." Applejack replied, not really thinking about food at the moment. Her cousin was acting….strange. Much stranger than his unusual overly happy self. Applejack focused her attention next to her only to find all of her friends and her former principals standing at the edge of the dining room, eyes fixated on her cousin. "Uh, Brae?" AJ stood up, cracking her now stiff knuckles. Braeburn either purposefully ignored her or wasn't paying attention as he set the ham on a silver platter on the counter.

"Okay, we don't have assigned seating, so pick your seats wisely," Spitfire advised, shifting her way through the crowd. The table wasn't too particularly large, having only eight chairs around it. However, Spitfire allowed Braeburn to borrow a small backup table from the base's mess hall for the evening. The chef placed it at the south end of the normal dining table; part of it stuck out into the living room.

"Brae?" Applejack repeated, tapping her cousin's shoulder. "What were you-" she attempted to ask before Braeburn briskly turned around and walked past her, putting together last minute touches on the meal.

"Sorry, cousin Applejack," he apologized, giving a bowl of mashed potatoes one last whisk. "But Fire has a STRICT protocol when it comes ta eatin'," he explained. "Even durin' breakfast 'n dinner here, if the meal is ready, it's eatin' time; no horsin' around," Braeburn added.

"Now hold on-" Applejack tried to debate before Applebloom tugged at her arm.

"Come on, sis!" She exclaimed. "Let's make sure we get a seat next ta each other!" Knowing that her little sister was as stubborn as her and wouldn't take no for an answer, Applejack allowed Applebloom to lead her to a pair of empty seats in the middle of the main table and sat down along with the other guests. Spike, Rarity, Rainbow, and Fluttershy all took seats at the smaller table.

"Smells good Cowboy," Spitfire complimented as she strolled by the kitchen, "do you need any help delivering that?" She offered to assist her husband.

"Naw, Ah got this," Braeburn waved it off. "But thanks for the offer hun," he winked at her.

"What are _you_ looking at?" Spitfire pointed her finger at Pinkie who was gushing at the nicknames the married couple used for one another. The party planner looked away with an innocent whistle. Spitfire then turned her attention to her husband in the kitchen as he sped things up to get dinner on the table. "Cowboy, are you 100% sure you don't need help?" She asked, pushing her chair out. The commander was interrupted, however, when Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle all pumped their hands in the air.

"WE CAN HELP!" They all cheered simultaneously with excited grins.

"It's okay girls, Ah gOT-" Braeburn tried to politely refuse until a couple plates of corn, mashed potatoes, and rolls nearly fell from his arms. The air was collectively sucked from the room as the chef juggled the plates before catching them, not spilling a crumb. Spitfire gave him a cocky look while he blushed. "Um, maybe Ah _do_ need a lil help, girls," he chuckled nervously.

"YAY!" The trio cheered again, jumping up from their seats. Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash actually felt fine with their little sisters helping with such an innocent task. Those little girls's enthusiasm could get a little out of hand; it got scary around big projects like the Apple family barn raising or trying to help Rainbow Dash set up a stunt for her dirt bike. Helping set food on the table should be uneventful.

"Okay Sweetie Belle 'n Scootaloo," Braeburn announced, "Ah need you two ta pour the cider into wine glasses," he handed the two girls large pitchers of the drink before sending them off. "And cousin Applebloom, Ah need you ta help me carry plates to the table," he explained.

"Ah won't let ya down, cousin!" Applebloom grinned, holding one plate in each hand. She followed Braeburn back into the dining room amidst a gentle applause from the others while Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle poured drinks. Surprisingly, Spitfire was fine with the 'golf clapping,' knowing how good her husband's cooking was. Everyone lightly licked their lips as the first four plates were set down on the smaller dining table. Spike and Rainbow tried to contain themselves from just diving head first into the food. The only things that stopped them were Rarity and Spitfire's disapproving glares. Fluttershy inwardly giggled at Spike and Rainbow's struggles.

"Very good, Bloom," Braeburn said as the two walked side by side into the the kitchen, grabbing four more plates. "We'll go to the head 'o the table now," he announced, making sure he had a good grip on his two plates. Happily obliging, Applebloom followed directly behind her cousin, though she felt a twinge of blandness inside. This was her and AJ's first Christmas Eve with their new cousin; she wanted it to be extra special. An idea was born into her mind as she and Braeburn set down the next four plates. Braeburn got a mischievous thought as he put his wife's food in front of her. As he bent back up, he 'accidentally' brushed his cheek against hers, eliciting a twinge of a blush within Spitfire's cheeks. "Merry Christmas, Fire," he whispered.

"Mhm," Spitfire slowly nodded, picking up her glass of cider and took a long sip. Celestia and Luna quietly giggled, sipping their own cider as well. Knowing that she had to keep an 'inside voice' in Spitfire's house, Pinkie bit her lower lip from squealing at the display between husband and wife.

"Hmm," Applebloom thought out loud as she and Braeburn brought out more plates.

"What are ya thinkin' there, Applebloom?" Braeburn questioned. Applejack's ears perked up when she heard Braeburn ask Applebloom that particular question.

"Just…Ah think we can spice this up a bit," Applebloom replied, halting Braeburn from setting down more plates. "Like, sprinkle a little pizzazz over this," she explained to her cousin. AJ gripped the edge of the table hard, knowing full well where her sister was going with this. Everyone else just stared at Applebloom, also have some sort of idea what she had in mind.

"Pizzazz?" Spitfire raised a confused yet glaring eyebrow.

"Applebloom, no! This here is just fine!" Applejack ordered, showing Applebloom that Braeburn's normal method was already perfect. Unfortunately for Applejack, Applebloom shook her head, setting down her two plates in front of Celestia and Luna.

"Come on, AJ!" Applebloom smacked her sister's back with gleeful enthusiasm. "We're havin' Christmas Eve dinner in Alaska 'n for the first time with our new cousin Spitfire no less! She gets ta watch jets fly all over the place every day! Ah've gotta do somethin' ta liven up dinner," she pushed away from the table and jogged back into the kitchen.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Spitfire demanded, leaning back in her chair to see into the kitchen. Rarity and Rainbow Dash shot extremely concerned looks to their friend who stood up out of her chair and rose her voice to her sister.

"Applebloom, Ah said NO!" Applejack repeated as she watched Applebloom put an entire plate on her index finger. The elder Apple's eyes grew in horror at the display, fearing the outcome. "Applebloom, you put that plate down on the counter 'n get over ta this table!" She instructed.

"What's she trying to do?" Spitfire questioned as AJ blocked her view of the kitchen. Applejack stepped out of the way as Applebloom practically barged her way through; the plate was still, somehow, sitting perfectly atop her finger. No one could breathe while the high schooler slowly made her way over to AJ's empty spot.

"Okie dokie, here we go!" Applebloom grinned, taking her free hand and spun the plate as if it were a basketball. "Just like you used ta do, Rainbow!"

"Applebloom!" Braeburn and Applejack shouted at the same time upon the girl's deaf ears. Applebloom took another step closer to her sister's empty spot; the plate still spinning. However, everyone's worst fears were confirmed when she let out a squeak and her finger buckled.

"NO!" She exclaimed. Everything began to happen in slow motion. The plate flung off Applebloom's finger as the teen tried to grasp it in both hands, only hitting it further. Particles of food flung in all directions as she fell forward. Applejack and Braeburn rushed in, trying to catch the plate themselves, but they were too late. With a deafening crash, Applebloom bounced off the edge of the table, falling onto her back while the plate smashed on the table top as Celestia, Luna, Twilight, and Pinkie were coated with the glazed ham, rolls, corn, mashed potatoes, and the cider that flung from the overturned wine glasses.

Everyone sat in silence, unable to do anything as they analyzed the situation. "O-oops….." Applebloom said in a shamed tone as she stood up. "Ah, ah'm so sorry!" She tried to apologize while the four persons covered in food began to clean themselves off. Applebloom felt like crying when she saw everyone, even her two best friends glaring and shaking their heads. Braeburn rushed over to Spitfire, trying to make sure she wouldn't blow her lid at the girl. Applebloom turned to her side when she heard an angry growl from behind.

"APPLEBLOOM!" AJ roared, "HALLWAY, NOW!" Bowing her head in shame, and to not look at anyone, Applebloom trudged her way out of the dining room with Applejack marching her way out as well. Once in the hallway, Applejack forcibly opened the door to the bathroom and pointed inside. Applebloom flinched when AJ slammed the door hard.

"A-AJ," she squeaked out as she tried to keep tears from flowing out of her eyes.

"What were you _thinkin'?!"_ Applejack shouted, not wasting any time to get to the point. While normally cheery and playful, when Applejack got angry, it was rather scary for the person receiving the blunt of her aggression. "Ah told you TWICE ta serve the food as Braeburn instructed!"

"Ah-Ah just wanted-"

"But no, you chose ta ignore both me 'n Braeburn." Applejack pointed her finger right at Applebloom's nose. An angry scowl shone from her eyes while she clenched her teeth together. Her voice was low and about set on full growl mode.

"Applejack," Applebloom sniffled, wiping some tears out of her eyes, "Ah just wanted ta impress cousin Spitfire," she said in a cracked voice.

"Oh, you wanted to impress cousin Spitfire?!" Applejack repeated Applebloom's explanation, "You know how you could've impressed her? By doin' what Braeburn did _or_ by sittin' down at the table 'n followin' instruction!" Applejack yelled loudly. Applebloom felt a tightness in her chest as her feet and hands began to go numb. Her ears and even her pink hair bow drooped sadly as she couldn't look at her sister anymore.

"Ah-Ah'm sorry!" Applebloom choked, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Well sorry ain't gonna fix what you broke!" Applejack roared again, shaking her head while rubbing her forehead. "Ah guess Ah was wrong," Applejack muttered. "Ah had great faith that you had matured from pullin' stupid crap like that!" She berated.

 _"Ah'll…..go help,"_ Applebloom said in a whisper as she looked up at her sister. Her orange eyes were now red and puffy as her cheeks were staining with tears.

"No!" Applejack screamed, making Applebloom flinch. "You have done _more_ than enough missy!" Applejack turned around to leave the bathroom.

" _But….AJ,"_ Applebloom attempted to persuade her sister.

"Ah said, NO! Just fer once in yer life, LISTEN TA ME! DON'T COME OUT TILL AH COME TA GET YOU TA HEAD HOME!" Applejack ordered, slamming the door so hard that the medicine cabinet on the wall above the sink rattled. With that, Applebloom covered her eyes with her hands, whimpering as the tears were on full blast. She cried softly to herself as she heard the muffled commotion of everyone cleaning up the table to resume eating. She sank to the floor, rocking back and forth, trying to comfort herself.

" _…..My sister hates me…"_ Applebloom held her hand over her breaking heart. She fell over onto her side, clutching her knees with one hand while holding her chest with the other. Choking a few more times before sobbing louder, Applebloom opened her eyes, wiping them dry. She then noticed a medium sized window above the toilet next to the shower. _"M-maybe Ah should just go,"_ Applebloom said softly. With a grunt, she sat up and pushed herself off the tiled floor. Applebloom turned to face the window, reaching out to it with her hand.

It was hard for her though; she wanted to listen to her sister and stay, but Applebloom also felt that if she just….left, there was no possibility of her messing something up again. Applebloom didn't want a repeat of Applejack yelling at her like that again or feeling disappointed in her. _'If Ah just left them alone, Ah wouldn't have ta see her angry again,_ ' Applebloom thought to herself. She reached closer for the handle of the window, her fingers barely grazing the surface when she felt a little twinge of guilt. "What if they forgive me?" She asked. Applejack's angry rant suddenly echoed throughout her ears, bringing more stinging tears to her eyes. Her fingers curled around the handle tightly, twisting it until the window popped open.

Applebloom's body flinched as a rush of winter air surged into the bathroom. She seethed, braving through the abrupt change in temperature and stood atop the toilet before slipping out the open window. She landed in a fresh layer of snow with a soft thud, keeping her balance on her feet. Her whimpering grew louder thanks to the dropping temperature, but that wasn't even comparable to the icy daggers Applejack stabbed her heart with. Applebloom scanned her eyes across the backyard, trying to find a path to the road. She didn't have a jacket, but there wasn't much she could do about that at the moment.

In the dim lights of the military suburb, she saw a spot in the fence that she could hop over and take a road to leave. She trudged through the deepening snow, ignoring how cold it was. Gripping the top of the fence, Applebloom jumped up and over, landing on the sidewalk. With one final look, she gazed at the house, still hurting from how angry her sister was. Applebloom then began to walk down the sidewalk; her face felt colder than anything due to how wet it was from her tears. _"Merry Christmas…."_ she whimpered to herself as a dim streetlight bathed over her.

 **End Chapter 1**


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